Update: Madrid - Road to title

Hi everyone,

The first few rounds at Madrid were a real blood bath on the red clay. Much of the seeded players were obviously not yet ready for the gravel. But first, the most important news: RADWANSKA HAS GONE BLONDE!

I was watching her against Robson (which she lost surprisingly: 3-6, 1-6, i'm hoping it isn't connected with her hair color change) and I just didn't recognize her! So Radwanska out in the second round where the Pole reached the semifinals last year. Wozniacki is having a few dreadful first round losses lately, this time against Shvedova: 2-6, 4-6. This says it all right?

But I was most surprised by the early losses of some real gravel specialists! Like Na Li who lost in the first round against Keys: 3-6, 2-6 and Vinci was overthrown by Lepchenko: 1-6, 6-1, 2-6. Stosur got a difficult draw with Suarez Navarro in the first round and the Spanish tennisplayer impressed with a 7-6(7), 6-2 victory. How can you battle THAT anyway?

Serena had a straight forward walk in the park until the quarterfinals were Medina Garrigues took the second set bagel-style! Serena knocked herself to the semifinals nonetheless: 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 in the end, despite Medina Garrigues fluffing up the balls during play to actually make them slower. It was close the shout of this photo tells us.

Azarenka experienced her first loss of 2013 (if we don't count her many withdrawals and stuff) against Makarova: 6-1, 2-6, 3-6. The Belarussian couldn't keep her cool when she received a point penalty after swearing to the crowd and racket abuse, check it out:

Kerber had quite a succesful tournament if you consider she wasn't playing that well last month which resulted in her dropping a spot on the rankings to 7. She defeated Kuznetsova: 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 to reach the quarterfinals but lost there to Ivanovic: 6-3, 6-1 after she battled it out against Robson: 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(5).

In the bottom draw Sharapova faced little resistance getting to the semi's with Kvitova outplayed by Hantuchova in the second round and Kanepi proving a not too difficult task in the quarters: 6-2, 6-4. But the biggest news was her officially anouncing dating tennisplayer Dimitrov after he overthrew Djokovic. First they were spotted in Madrid and then Sharapova made a joke about it when writing: 'How did you catch us?' (The streets of Madrid aren't that private really, maybe it was his 'you-beat-the-number-one' gift of Sharapova?)

To sum up, we got Williams - Errani and Sharapova - Ivanovic semifinals. And it was quite clear the final would be a number one against two affair with Williams fending off Errani: 7-5, 6-2 and Sharapova winning against Ivanovic: 6-4, 6-3. I was hoping for an exciting clincher but it was all the Serena-show. In an hour and 19 minutes she achieved her consecutive title in Madrid: 6-1, 6-4. But please, Serena, leave the dog at home! And love the photo where you see Sharapova walking away while Williams get picked up by the ballboys (serious muscle neessary there!). Keep posted!

Introducing: Mutua Madrid Open - Madrid

Hi everyone,

We've arrived in sunny Spain where translating a site in correct English is quite difficult (la caja magica is NOT English!). The Mutua Madrid Open is a mandatory tournament, so we've got a week ahead with a lot of interesting matches! Unfortunately not on blue gravel anymore but we're back at the usual red.

 

 

Last year this tournament was quite the appetizer for Roland Garros with Serena Williams crushing number one Azarenka in the final: 6-1, 6-3 after defeating Sharapova in the quarterfinals with the same score. Funny photo by the way.

 

 

Check out the draw:

- Top half = Serena, Wozniacki, Na Li

- Top of the middle half = Azarenka, Bartoli, Vinci, Errani

- Bottom of middle half = Kerber, Ivanovic, Radwanska

- Bottom half = Kvitova, Stosur, Cibulkova, Sharapova

 

- Underdog of the tournament = Suarez Navarro. This gravel-loving Spanish player has a tough draw with a first round encounter against Stosur. Still, she was wonderful in the Estoril Open in Portugal, losing against Pavlyuchenkova in the final. Kanepi probably awaits in the second round before meeting Kvitova for a spot in the quarters. She'll have to defeat Sharapova and either Radwanska or Kerber to meet number one Serena most likely in the final. If that isn't the underdog of the tournament, I don't know either anymore!

 

First round matches to look forward to: Azarenka vs. Pavlyuchenkova (I'm predicting Azarenka will win but Pavlyuchenkova was remarkable in Portugal though), Errani vs. Urszula Radwanska, Ivanovic vs. Mattek-Sands (after her good run in Stuttgart, the American could do some damage!), Kvitova vs. Wickmayer and Suarez Navarro vs. Stosur.

 

Keep posted! 

Update: Stuttgart - Quarter's, Semi's & Final

Hi everyone,

While Eurosport keeps boycotting me (not transmitting anything from the main tournaments anymore!), I remembered again how Na Li won Roland Garros in 2011. The Chinese produced a convincing win over Kvitova in the quarter's: 6-3, 7-5. In the semi's she faced Mattek-Sands after Lisicki stranded against her the round before: 6-4, 6-3. In the photo you just see her think: wow you look ... different.

 

 

On the other side of the draw number two Sharapova needed another three setter against Ivanovic in the quarter's: 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 before battling Kerber in the semi's in another long match: 6-3, 2-6, 7-5. She's had a lot of practice on the Stuttgart gravel, you can say that!

 

 

In doubles, two German teams did very well. Kerber and Petkovic reached the semi's while the Barthel - Lisicki pairing won the title!

 

 

 

 

Oh yes, the final between Na Li and Sharapova, a totally worthy Roland Garros final if you ask me! I'll let youtube do the talking with these highlights:

 

 

So that's another Porsche for Maria, I'm excited to see what the next tournaments around Southern Europe will bring, keep posted!

 

Update: Stuttgart - Road to the Quarterfinals

Hi everyone,

A lot of potential winners were already send home in the first round in Stuttgart! Wozniacki was upset by gravel specialist Suarez Navarro: (6)6-7, 1-6 while Stosur couldn't handle Jankovic: 4-6, 4-6. Winner in last week's WTA Katowice Vinci is also surprisingly out against Shvedova: 4-6, 2-6 despite the Italian normally being very strong on clay.

 

- Granny pants! -

Team Deutschland had mixed results in the first round. Ivanovic proved to be too strong for a newly returned Petkovic: 6-3, 6-2 but in doubles with Kerber, they did defeat the third seed Makarova - Vesnina pairing in two sets. Petkovic is looking good alright, that's the most important (and funny as always)!

 

Lisicki battled her way into the second round while Barthel had another disappointing first round loss against Safarova: 4-6, 1-6. German teenager Beck played tremendously against Kvitova in the first round. The Czech needed three sets after completely blowing the second set tiebreak: 7-5, (0)6-7, 6-3. Goerges took her first hurdle when leading: 6-2, 2-1 before Flipkens retired due to stomach problems.

 

 

 

The second round proved destructive for Italian Errani (after getting a bye in the first) when facing a surprisingly strong Mattek-Sands: 0-6, 6-4, 1-6. The American always makes quite an impression, right? The other seeded players all got through with Na Li and Kerber in two sets while Sharapova needed three in a tough battle against Safarova: 6-4, (3)6-7, 6-3. It did deserve three sets though, the level in this match was very high!

 

 

 

Besides Kerber just one German reached the quarterfinals also: Lisicki. She had a tight victory over Jankovic: 7-6(3), 7-5. It's good to see her perform well again with an upcoming grass season to look forward to! Kvitova defeated Goerges while the German had the best start in the match: 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2.

 

 

The quarterfinals consists of a Kerber - Shvedova mash-up, Lisicki vs. Mattek-Sands but most exciting: Sharapova vs. Ivanovic and Kvitova taking on Na Li. Keep posted!

Introducing - Porsche Tennis Grand Prix - Stuttgart

Hi everyone,

 

After the green clay in Charleston for the Family Circle Cup (where Serena defended her title succesfully after an ass-whooping 6-1, 6-2 against Venus in the semi's and defeating Jankovic: 3-6, 6-0, 6-2) and the red clay in a new tournament in Poland: BNP Paribas Katowice Open (where Vinci established her gravel-skills by beating Kvitova in the final in an extraordinary fashion: 7-6(2), 6-1, we're finally at the true European clay court tournaments!

 

First up is the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart with this amazing poster of the German players:

 

 

They played their Fed Cup against Serbia (edging it: 3-2) in Stuttgart, so I'm expecting them to make a strong start here because the draw isn't a walk in the park at all!

 

First round matches to look forward to = Ivanovic vs. Petkovic, Pavlyuchenkova vs. Makarova, Stosur vs. Jankovic.

 

Underdog of the tournament = Goerges has to get past a strong Flipkens (eight places ranked higher than her) in the first round before encountering Kvitova second and most likely Na Li in the quarterfinals. Either Stosur of Errani will probably await in the semifinals before Sharapova in the finals. Goerges has had incredible results in Stuttgart (upsetting Stosur and Wozniacki, the then number one, to take the title in 2011) but that's one tough cookie right there: good Glück German girl!

 

Last year winner was Sharapova by defeating Azarenka: 6-1, 6-4 in the final. We're missing the Belarussian here, so she'll lose some more points but her third spot in the WTA rankings isn't at risk since Radwanska is way behind and isn't competing here either. Keep posted!

 

Update: Miami - Fourth round, Quarter's, Semi's and Final

Hi everyone,

The fourth round delivered quite a splash!

Serena did have trouble against Cibulkova, but as usual the American could turn a set and break behind into a win: 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. Number four Radwanska also faced a set down against Sloane Stephens before turning it around: 4-6, 6-2, 6-0. On the other hand Sharapova had another convincing win: 6-2, 6-2 against Zakopalova. Na Li had a tough first set against Muguruza: 7-6(6), 6-2. Errani had a beautiful win over Ivanovic in the fourth round: 1-6, 6-4, 6-2.

 

 

In such a packed tournament, I was very pleased with a Vinci - Jankovic quarterfinal. The two gave everything they had and eventually Jankovic came out victorious: 6-4, (6)6-7, 6-3. Vinci's doublespartner Errani was also outplayed in the quarterfinals against number two Sharapova: 7-5, 7-5. Serena had a better start in the quarterfinals, but it was quite necessary against Na Li: 6-3, 7-6(5). Belgian Flipkens (who is having a few very succesfull American tournaments) had an amazing start against Radwanska, but the Pole managed to turn it around in three sets: 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Check out this (possibly) point of the year!

 

I was so looking forward to the semifinal between Serena and Radwanska, but the Pole really didn't have a chance against the super focused American (not even a backhand flip pirouette smash volley or something). Serena definitely meant business and wasn't about to make a bad start: 6-0, 6-3. I started to think we finally would get an exciting battle between the number one and two after Serena had slacked a bit the last couple of matches, but after the crushing of Radwanska, I wasn't that sure anymore. Sharapova did give a good impression against Jankovic: 6-2, 6-1 but with Serena on top of her game, it would get tricky in the final!

 

Sharapova did try everything she got and even took the first set before the impressive Williams bounced back with a third set bagel: 4-6, 6-3, 6-0. Watch the highlights:

We've got the Family Circle Cup in Charleston left before we turn to Europe for the gravel preparations for Roland Garoos, keep posted!

Update: Miami - First, Second & Third Round

Hi everyone,

The Sony Tennis Open is flying by and we're already on to the fourth round!

 

Except for Petkovic's win over Jovanovski: 6-3, 6-1 in the first round, nothing really to report because all the seeded players got a bye in Miami. On to round two where Petkovic played amazingly against Bartoli before the French woman had to retire due to her left foot when trailing: 3-6, 1-4. I guessed wrong about Petkovic reaching the third round but just when I thought she would make it further, Tomljanovic just barely got the edge over her for a fourth round spot: 0-6, 6-4, 7-6(1). Good to see her getting her groove back (and hopefully her Petko-dance too!)

 

 

A lot of high ranked players needed three sets to overcome their opponent in the early rounds. Typical for Wozniacki (5-7, 6-3, 6-3 against Pliskova) and Kvitova (5-7, 6-2, 6-2 against Peng), they did it in Indian Wells also, but Kerber isn't playing her best as well in the second round. The German lost the first set: (5)6-7 against Schiavone before settling the score in the next two sets: 6-3, 6-2.

Two veterans took the court in an epic battle too: 7-6(3), 3-6, 6-4 was the score between Venus Williams and Date-Krumm (combined age 74!)

 

 

No such problems for Serena Williams, Radwanska, Na Li and Sharapova who cruised through the second round in straight sets. And what about Azarenka? She's still unbeaten in 2013 but has pulled out of Miami with an ankle injury again. I'm wondering if she'll be fit (and warmed up) for the upcoming Grand Slams! Lucky Loser Davis filled her spot and immediately made a splash saving three match points before grabbing the win against fellow American: 6-1, 5-7, 7-6(7). Unfortunately she didn't withstand Cornet's game in the third round: 2-6, 6-3, 6-2.

 

 

To summarize the rest of the third round, I'm refering to these two informative clips:

 

 

 

What it did let out was Belgian Flipkens win over Kvitova: 6-0, 4-6, 6-1 and Wozniacki's upset by Spanish teenager Muguruza: 2-6, 4-6, both quite mention worthy!

 

The upcoming fourth round matches are pretty interesting with: Williams vs. Cibulkova (always in the mood for a big number one upset that tiny Slovak!), Radwanska vs. Stephens and Errani vs. Ivanovic. Keep posted!